Subaru of America, Inc.: Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System
Subaru of America, Inc. reported this defect to federal regulators on Sep 13, 2002 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 555. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY AND PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 4-CYLINDER ENGINES, THE WATER PUMP PULLEY CENTER HOLE WAS IMPROPERLY MACHINED.
The risk
IN SOME INSTANCES, THE INTERFERENCE FIT BETWEEN THE INNER WALL OF THE PULLEY CENTER HOLE AND THE WATER PUMP DRIVE SHAFT WAS NOT AS TIGHT AS SPECIFIED IN THE DRAWING SPECIFICATION. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE WATER PUMP PULLEY DISLODGING FROM THE WATER PUMP SHAFT, WHICH CAN CAUSE SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE/SEIZURE DURING VEHICLE USAGE.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WATER PUMP. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 12, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
3 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Subaru Baja | 38 | 10 | 3 | 5 |
| 2003 Subaru Legacy | 60 | 15 | 0 | 4 |
| 2003 Subaru Outback | 93 | 15 | 1 | 7 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 02V240000.
Full record for the 2003 Subaru Baja → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →